Thursday, November 18, 2010

When you leave your house, you make sure that your front door is closed and locked. The same goes for when you get out of your car. That same instinct should apply to all aspects of your life. When you leave any relationship, make sure that chapter of your life is truly closed.

Closure is essential. Right now I am at a place in my life where I realize that in order to truly progress, I must first learn from my experiences, then truly be able to move on from them. The first time I was confronted with this is when my aunt died. I had to first learn from her life and her relationship with me, then attain a sense of closure about her death. This process translates into other relationships, both familial and intimate.

I am struggling with one particular relationship. It ended back in 2008, but to this day I do not have a sense of closure. I was so emotionally involved with this person that the aftermath of our interaction lingers today. To put it simply, I was in love with her, and she disappointed me. I feel like I was very upfront about where I stood with her, but that has not been reciprocated. All I want to know is...what happened? Why did she make the choices that she made? Why did our "relationship" end the way it did?

When you are involved with someone and that involvement comes to an end, it is important for whoever is involved to know why it is ending so that everyone is on the same page. Even if you have a nasty breakup, both people should understand why the breakup is taking place. I feel like both people have an obligation to let each other know where they stand.

Closure is about honesty, not being selfish, and not being self absorbed. You never know what a person can learn about themselves through you. To the person who inspired this...I am not asking for closure as a means of getting close to you again. You truly showed me yourself- not with your words; it was what you didn't say that was most revealing. . Put yourself in my place. If I had disappeared the way you did, how would you feel?

We should all keep this in mind as we interact with friends, lovers, coworkers, peers, family...be honest about how you feel. If you decide that you no longer want someone to be part of your life, at least be mature enough to let them know why. However, once you have the knowledge, it is up to you to truly close that chapter.
Shoot first, ask questions later..

Friday, October 15, 2010

1 year update coming soon! My "loc anniversary" is October 31st. This is just a sneak peek...my babies have progressed so much in a year. Anyway, I won't say too much now...gotta save the details for the one year update!Shoot first, ask questions later..

Wednesday, October 6, 2010

(CNN) - Fewer than half of Americans oppose legalized same-sex marriage, according to a new poll on the issue released Wednesday, with significant shifts in public opinion on the issue just since last year.

More Americans continue to oppose gay marriage than support it, according to the poll, which was released Wednesday by the Pew Research Center. But for the first time since Pew starting asking about same sex marriage 15 years ago, fewer than half of those polled said they oppose legalizing the institution.

The poll revealed other firsts. For the first time since Pew began asking about the issue, more white mainline Protestants and white Catholics favor gay marriage than oppose it.

"The shift in opinion on same-sex marriage has been broad-based, occurring across many demographic, political and religious groups," Pew's polling analysis said.

The analysis noted that political independents, who were opposed to gay marriage by a wide margin just last year, are now divided on the issue.

The poll -- which combines two surveys conducted from July to September of this year -- found that 42 percent of Americans favor same-sex marriage, while 48 percent oppose it.

"The public continues to be far more supportive of gays and lesbians serving openly in the military than of allowing legal same-sex marriages," the Pew's polling analysis notes.

Sixty percent of Americans favor allowing gays and lesbians to serve openly in the military, while 30 percent oppose it. Support for gays serving openly in the military has remained fairly stable over the last five years, Pew said.

On gay marriage, the new poll found significant differences of opinions along age, racial and partisan lines.

Americans in the so-called Millennial Generation -- those born after the 1980s -- favor gay marriage by 53 percent to 39 percent, the poll found. Among those born between 1928 and 1945, just 29 percent favor allowing gays and lesbians to marry legally, while 59 percent are opposed.

Among Democrats, 53 percent support legalized gay marriage, while just 24 percent of Republicans do.

And while whites are evenly divided over gay marriage, the poll found, blacks oppose legalizing the institution by a wide margin.
Shoot first, ask questions later..

Tuesday, October 5, 2010

Copiapo, Chile (CNN) - With 160 meters to go until the Plan B drill reaches 33 trapped miners, a breakthrough to the men may be imminent.

Then what?

At Camp Hope, the makeshift tent city where hundreds of family members are living, widespread celebrations will likely break out as the miners' loved ones receive news they have waited for more than 60 days to hear.

But despite any euphoria, the rescue operation will be entering its most dangerous phase for the men.

Chilean Mining Minister Laurence Golborne made clear to reporters Saturday that the operation can only be called a success if all the men are rescued from the mine safely.

"We haven't rescued anyone here," Golborne said. "We have to be very conservative, nothing is finished."

Officials said they expect to have the men above ground between October 15 and October 30.

If the Plan B drill reaches the 624 meters (2,047 feet) to the trapped men, the miners will be closer than ever to freedom. But they will still have a long way to go before their actual rescue.

Officials said they are still considering whether to line the completed mine shaft with steel casing. The operation would call for reinforcing the 70-centimeter (28-inch) hole with 26 steel tubes, each 24 meters (79 feet) in height. The casing would also provide a buffer between the mine walls and rescue capsules.

State engineer Rene Aguilar said that the casing would require days more work for rescuers. On Plans A and B, platforms would have to be built over the drills. That would not be necessary for Plan C, an oil drilling platform. Then a 400-ton winch would be moved into place to begin casing the hole.

The casing of the hole would take a total of about eight days to put in place and implement, Andre Sougarret, chief of the rescue operation, told reporters Monday.

But officials said they are still not convinced whether the casing the entire hole will be necessary. Sougarret said rescuers may only need to put the casing in the upper 100 meters of the hole.

"The rock there is broken," Sougarret said. "It needs to be cased."

A camera will be sent down the hole after it's drilled to inspect the integrity of the full length of the shaft to help officials decide whether to case the entire path to the miners.

Even if more than one drill reaches the mine, officials said they only plan to use a single opening in the rescue. The second drill hole would serve as a backup if anything were to go wrong with the rescue, Sougarret said. The miners will then be plucked one at a time from their underground prison by way of a rescue capsule.

Dubbed "The Phoenix," the capsule will be equipped with an oxygen supply, communications equipment, retractable wheels to help it travel up the rescue shaft and an escape hatch in case anything goes wrong.

Rescue officials said the capsule will use wired communication with the surface, since wireless contact could fail in the mine's depths.

The capsule weighs in at 420 kilograms (924 pounds) and its interior height is 6 feet 4 inches (1.9 meters). The diameter of the capsule is a mere 54 centimeters (21 inches), a tight squeeze for some of the men. Two more capsules are expect to arrive at the mine site this week.

A trainer brought to the mine site to help the miners slim down and condition themselves for the rescue says they will all fit inside.

"Some of them have lost close to 20 pounds," said Dr. Jean Romagnoli.

When the rescue takes place it could take each miner more than an hour to get to the surface. Romagnoli said each miner will have to spend at least half an hour standing in the capsule. His training, he said, is now focused on strengthening the miners' legs and follows the workouts that combat pilots receive to compensate for the stresses of flying at high speeds.

"The blood tends to stay in your lower limbs for long periods of time," Romagnoli said, which could cause "fainting due to diminished brain irrigation."

But the doctor said he believes all the men are ready physically and psychologically.

After the hole is drilled, officials said as a test the capsule will be lowered part of the way down, while still empty. Then a navy commando and a highly experienced paramedic will be lowered to the mine's floor to begin the rescue operation.

On Monday, officials said they had not decided the order in which the men would be brought to the surface, but it will be based on their physical condition. The healthiest men, requiring the least time and help for their ascent, would go first, Sougarret said.

But he denied that a list had been finalized.

"The order will depend on their physical and mental state at the time of the rescue," he said.

Once on the surface, the miners will be taken to a field hospital, set up near the extraction hole and be given antibiotics, intravenous fluids and an eye check. Officials have said a live picture of the rescue will be provided to the hundreds of media organizations covering the rescue from the mine site.

Trucks carrying the field hospital arrived at the mine on Saturday.

After an initial examination and triage, they will be transferred to an observation area within the mine complex, where they will have their first reunion with "one or two family members," Chilean Health Minister Jaime Manalich said last month.

Once all the miners are extracted, Manalich said they will be flown by helicopter to Copiapo Regional Hospital, a 15-minute flight. Three helicopter pads have been bulldozed in recent days, high in the hills overlooking the drill sites

Manalich said each of the miners will be kept at the hospital "without exception" for a minimum of two days for stabilization and observation.

The most immediate risk to the miners, Manalich said, would be the possibility of damage to their retinas, as they face bright sunlight after weeks underground.

Medics also will immunize the miners against common germs on the surface, which they have not been exposed to recently, he said.

Officials have also said the men could suffer from post-traumatic stress after their ordeal and record length of time spent underground finally ends
Shoot first, ask questions later..

Monday, August 23, 2010

With those eyes
You've made me untouchable.
Focused on me
With clothes left intact
You undressed me
Peeled away layers of my being
No one else looks at me like That.
Your eyes tell me I'm beautiful
In my ugliest moments
The good in you
Sees the God in me.

With those lips
You've made me untouchable
Your lips say you love me
I believe them.
You confide in me confidently
You sing to me, perfectly off key
Your laughter...sweetness that turns lemons to lemonade
No other smile compares

With those hands
You've made me untouchable
Small, feminine
Always reaching out to me
Always seeking to connect with me
Using them to express nothing but love

With that heart
You've made me untouchable
The good in me
Sees the God in you
Eyes exuding genuineness touch me with sight
Lips speaking honesty touch me with words
Hands filled with trust touch me with appreciation
Hearts filled with love touch one another

Sunday, August 22, 2010

I've had the urge to write lately. Beware of the randomness to follow.

I decided to semi freeform. I don't give a fuck about retwisting my hair. They are dreadlocks. They will be just fine. I'll just keep them clean and separated. I just think that less manipulation is better. Lately, I've been setting my hair on rods and wearing it curly. I freaking LOVE it. It's easy as hell and its looks like I really put effort into my hair. So, I must say that I am really loving and appreciating my locs. And, I've been getting a lot of compliments on it so that's cool.

I fucking love photography. Poetry and photography are fighting for my attention.

Friday, August 13, 2010

I am currently in my 10th month of this loc journey. So far, I love it. I have my moments where I get frustrated or I feel like I'm having a bad hair day-or week- but for the most part it's cool.

What's NOT cool is the weather. It's hot in these Atlanta streets, and the heat+the oppressive humidity=unhappy locs. My hair is DRY. It seems like nothing I do keeps it moisturized. I don't know what to do!

On another note... I just (like 10 min ago) combined some of my locs. I chose to start out with what I consider to be small locs, but now I want them thicker.

Can't believe it's almost been a year since I started my babies! Shoot first, ask questions later..

I finally decided to return to my iHome. I haven't blogged in quite some time. Life has taken over. I miss my blog though so I am making an effort to get back into it.
It has been almost 9 months since I started this loc journey and I am enjoying it. I can't say that I've loved every minute of it, but overall it has been rewarding.
At this point in my journey I'm ok with my hair...for the most part. I don't like the COLOR. When I first colored my hair I honestly wasn't in love with it, but these days I really don't like it. It's dull and boring. (Surprisingly, it's quite photogenic because it looks good in pictures...but that's the only time it looks good in my opinion.)So, it's time for me to go back to basics...I'm going back to my natural color. (Well, as close as I can get to it.)
Stay tuned...I am making an effort to post more often, especially since I actually have followers (you all are awesome by the way).
Thanks for reading!!!
*Scissor free, comb free.*

Tuesday, February 16, 2010

Yes, it's true. I'm excited about fasting for Lent. Maybe I won't be as excited 20 days from now lol, but right now I am pretty excited about it. 2010 has gotten off to a great start, and I am thankful to God for that. I am in need of spiritual renewal, and I just want to show my appreciation to Him/Her by abstaining from the things that I often take for granted. For me, fasting is about letting go of unimportant indulgences in exchamge for spiritual/emotional/mental abundance. I feel like that's something to be excited about :)

I will be abstaining from meat, dairy, swets, and alcohol. I thing that I am going to start by abstaining from meat and dairy, then each week eliminate something else. The week leading up to Easter (and my birthday!) I will abstain from everything except for water, fruit, vegetables, and beans/nuts. That means no meat, no sweets, no alcohol, no dairy. I am considering abstaining from sex as well. Most likely, I will decide to not have sex during those last two weeks leading up to Easter.
This is going to be challenging, but I look forward to the rewards of it. I am sure my body will benefit from this. What is most important to me about fasting is that I am giving up my reliance on STUFF and shifting that reliance to God. THAT is exciting.
I will keep you gys posted on my fast.

Wednesday, February 10, 2010

In the process of relocating...haven't had much time to blog. My free time is spent looking for furniture, or most recently, a moving truck. That in addition to doing homework on the computer and I can't stand to look at the screen anymore...I will return to the world of blogging soon. Until then, hope you miss me! :)
I have a hair update that is long overdue...I haven't even done my 3 month update, and I'm getting closer and closer to 4 months...smh.

Thursday, January 21, 2010

Here is a photo from Fall '07 with me wearing the orange. I was more toned at this time. This is what I want to get back to. In this picture I was about 197, possibly even 200 lbs. The way I carry my weight is interesting to me. I never think I look as big as the scale says. Anyway, this photo is my motivation. I thought I had gotten MUCH bigger, but after looking at both photos side by side I see that I'm not too bad. This picture is MOTIVATION! I also included the more recent picture so you can compare and contrast.Sent via BlackBerry by AT&T

Tuesday, January 19, 2010

I got into the challenge a little lat, but I started making changes as soon as I decided to participate. Here is what I have done so far
I have walked briskly every day...I have no choice. I commute to school on public transportation. The main reason I wanted to commute as opposed to living on campus is to force myself to walk more.
I carry around a water bottle with me at all times. The bottle is huge. It is 1.5 liters. I also drink at least 2 glasses of water in addition to this bottle. (It's not even 1 yet and I am about 1/3 done with the bottle.)
I take a multivitamin every day
I have been snacking on healthy things (I slipped up at a friend's birthday party, but hey=it was a party. I'm back on track.)
If I want chocolate, it has to be dark chocolate (since that's actually good for you)
I didn't cut out carbs completely, but the carbs I do have are whole grain and I try to balance that with protein and vegetables
No soda. Limit juice- if I have juice it is sugar free, 100% juice.
Limit alcohol. I'm not a big drinker anyway, bu ti doesn't hurt to have that as a rule.
Eat several times a day, consistently
Get as much sleep as possible.
These are the things I have done so far. This week I plan to step up my exercise game. Also, the only meat I am eating for the next two weeks (at least) is seafood. Tonight when I get home I am going to exercise, then make fish and some kind of vegetable. No bread. I have had enough carbs for the day already.
Stay tuned...I am trying to do really well on this challenge, and I want to do it in a HEALTHY way. Next photo update will be at the end of this week.

Measurable Factors-
Height: 5′7
Weight: 210
Bust: 41
Waist: 33.5
Hips: 49
Thigh: 31
-Goals-
THE PLAN:
Walk briskly for at least 30 minutes 5 days a week
Do vigorous exercise for at least 45 minutes no less than 3 times a week.
Do strength training on alternate days and rest one day a week.
Do something active on the weekends liek take a walk, take an exercise class or go hiking…
Drink at least 64 oz. of water a day.
Make my snacking work for me by snacking on fruit and/or vegetables instead of chips and cookies
MY GOAL
At the end of the challenge I would like to enroll in an intense 6
week bellydance course.
WISH ME LUCK!
http://runninginafatsuit.com/blog/2010/01/2010-jan-mar-challenge-lets-kick-it-off/#comments

Sunday, January 17, 2010

I am loving this locking process! I know I haven't posted in a while...I have been really busy. I wanted to take a minute to tell you ladies and gentlemen what is going on with my hair.
Well, I am almost 3 months into the locking process and I must say that I love it! It is really fitting into my lifestyle. I will admit that there was one week when I was not so pleased with my baby lock. I felt like I looked awkward as hell! But now I am more carefree. I don't stress over it, and I really just let it do its thing.
I will style my hair occasionally, but for the rest of the month I am not going to style it at all. I am going to focus on keeping it moisturized and let it be.
I will keep you posted on my hair. Check out my youtube channel for my update videos.

Sunday, January 3, 2010

I was supposed to post this yesterday but I forgot. I spent the beginning of this year in a beautiful cabin in the mountains of Helen, GA, which is a Bavarian themed town in North GA. It was fantastic! The cabin is a secluded 3 bedroom 2 bath with a loft. It also has a hot tub. We (me, my boo, and two other couples) have been relaxing and enjoying each other's company.*

I want to wish all my readers and followers a prosperous 2010!!! May your businesses expand, your wealth increase and your hair reach new lengths! I am excited about the opportunities that await me in this year. What are you looking forward to this year?Sent via BlackBerry by AT&T